The Balotelli-Bale Series Book #3: The Italian Belle

Chapter 68: The Overflow

Nathan's POV
My mother and I haven't had much of a conversation since she disinherited me. We only greeted each other the day Nickolas vanished. It wasn't even a greeting. It was more like:

"Nathaniel."

"Helena."

She kept her eyes focused far into the distance. She has gotten much older. But she's every bit as difficult. "What?" She asked.

"Can we talk?"

She glared at me. Helena can be a good mom but she can be a bad one too. Any onlooker wouldn't believe she is my mother. She's treating me like a stranger and it hurts. "What about?"

"May I sit?"

"No because you're not staying."

Gio invited her to something he calls 'the overflow'. According to him, he gives away free wine to his neighbors because he has hit his profit margins. "I live here."

"I still don't understand why Gio allowed you to." She clearly doesn't know that I almost died in the hands of the Mafia. I haven't forgotten that bastard Belucci. I'm still planning his death.

"Mom," I never refer to her so. She prefers to be called Helena. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For blackmailing you. I was wrong to think I'll get away unscathed. If you don't mind, I want to fix our relationship."

"As do I." She sighed. "It's not easy being mad at you when you're always away. I think it would have been more fun if we you were around to irritate the hell out of each other."

"I do miss our constant bickering." I pointed out.

"I'm sure Nickolas is enough for you right now. How are things with Marianna. Any progress?"

"What kind of progress are you looking forward to?"

"A wedding and another grandchild. Nicko is not reliable. He's letting me down."

"He's a teenager mom. He will grow out of it."

"Nate, I'm not getting any younger you know. I need him to start learning. He may just be the youngest CEO the business world has ever seen. But I need your help. You are a lot of things but one thing you somehow taught yourself is discipline. I want him to learn that. It's crucial if he will be handling billions. In fact I'm giving him one million today."

My jaw almost dropped. I don't even own that much and she's giving him a million? "I have a feeling you used me to get him. You like him more than you like me."

"Eh..." She shrugged.

"Why would you give him all that money?"

"I am curious to know what he will do with it. I'll know what to do with him after."

"Maybe you should wait. We are punishing him. It will look like you're rewarding him."

She gave me a curious look. "Tell me why he's being punished. Poor thing only owns a mattress and a bedsheet in that whole bedroom."

"He broke the rules. He left home when we told him not to. He has made a habit of disregarding his mother's authority and he is having sex." Helena's eyes lit up. She sat up straight and started laughing. I don't think I have heard her laugh like this in a very long time. "Mom it's not funny!"

"It is! But it is! He's growing up and that's good!"

"I agree but Maria is panicking."

"As all mother's would. I remember your first time. It was the maid's daughter. Remember Carrie?"